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Opening with a gritty punch of solo guitar, Smear, taken from The Taskers upcoming album Pleasure Point, provides you with a small glimpse of what’s to come. And it looks pretty good if you ask me. With every verse built upon a foundation of raw and jagged bursts of guitar that rise and fall with every corner, Smear hits you head first with anger and passion. Something that really has to be noted is the positioning of the guitars within this first verse. How something so small can add so much to a song is certainly a question you will find yourself asking, when listening to this killer track. The chorus carries a similar feel to what has been laid out before it, but brings so much more. Supported by the eery backing sung behind the melody, the chorus confirms the brilliance of this song – in case you haven’t realised that by this point. A short interval pours even more grit into the Smear mixture, before rounding the three and a half minute song off with just as much, if not even more, power and rage as it began with.

The Taskers have always known how to deliver a solid and well-rounded piece of music to our ears, but they might have just raised their own bar with Smear. Could they possibly raise it anymore? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. By the sounds of it, the only way is up for The Taskers.

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Parisian Youth Culture are certainly not in a drought as the name of their new single may suggest, in fact it’s quite the opposite. I’d say it’s more of abundance of pure indie rock genius.

Straight away the rippling sounds of the suspenseful intro crash down, before the delicate tune of the guitar that repeats throughout the verses launches into action, adding a soft touch to the track. Not long after, the climatic chorus provides an explosion of sound with classic indie riffs and a hearty drum beat. The lyrics “I’m on my way” echo through, latching the tune straight into your head right before the next verse kicks in. The intertwining of the soothing and thrilling elements create the perfect recipe for a memorable and nostalgic indie rock track that sends you on a roller coaster ride driven by emotion and flare.

Everything about ‘Drought’ is spot on, even down to the singles artwork that I was really impressed by. Their image is polished and professional and the attention to detail is demonstrated through the eloquent material they produce.

Parisian Youth Culture are playing on the main stage at the Lymelight Festival in Newcastle Under Lyme on 4th May so have a listen, either on their SoundCloud or Spotify, and get yourselves down there – you won’t be disappointed.

Alisha

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When listening to the opening seconds of The Manalishi’s first single, you could easily presume that these 4 lads were influenced by early Guns n Roses, even Manic Street Preachers territory under Richy Edwards, however when the vocals come in it’s plainly obvious that these 4 lads have a little more to them than that. First and foremost these are a rock and roll band, not a band influenced by one particular brand of music, they are a combination of each of the members personal influences combined together in one music blender! In lead singer Josh an early Liam Gallagher esque vocal with a Noel sense of melody, in lead guitarist Jovi a man influenced by late 80s classic rock, in bass player Ross a melodic bass player who counts the likes of Flea as one of his main influences and Jack a hard hitting drummer whose liking for Bonham and Grohl comes as no surprise. These characteristics make ‘Alive’ a splendid opening example of the bands style of music!

Its obvious this band have a lot of talent and this debut single ‘Alive’ suggests that, however it’s clearly obvious that the band is still in its baby stage, and these lads have to take their first steps before they can walk, and with tunes like this they could could be running very soon!

Tom K

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As far as the local(and arguably more Worldwide) indie music scene goes, it can be pigeon holed into many different sub-genres, Delamere are definitely a band that appeal to the more intelligent(almost Hipster) type of Iindie follower, their 3 track E.P is a fine example of their enjoyable brand of electronic indie.

Opening up with the brilliant and very Foals influenced title track ‘Bright Young Things’, this opening atmospheric track is an excellent example of the talent that lies within the band and it promises for an excellent EP.

Second track ‘Regress’ carries on with the theme of the first track, an excellent rhythm section complimented by atmospheric vocals. Its gives you another example that the band are not only a force in the studio but with its atmospheric groove it proves that the bands can also a force on stage as well.

The third and final track is easily the most chilled out record on the EP and although it takes nearly a minute to kick in, your patience is duly rewarded and with it being the final track on the EP it ends up having the final say yet it leaves the most obvious lasting impression of any song on the record!

E.P’s only last 3 or 4 songs, but with the strength of the songs of here you kind of hoped that the EP would carry on to something to would go towards the LP format. It’s an excellent collection of songs, it’s no doubt that Delamere are not one of the most talented bands the area, but arguably also the best!

Tom K

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Likelions are a Midlands based Noisecore band (it says so on their bandcamp), a promising prospect for the local scene indeed. However, they have managed to nail a couple of gigs in New York, so with their tour plans the two piece band are pretty set on what they deliver and where they deliver it.

The LKLNS EP set off nicely into soft guitar strumming with Nicky Ferris Wheel, which eventually builds throughout. Near halfway though the song kicks in, making it a brief yet action packed introduction to the EP. Strawberry Lightbulb picks up, with the addition of vocals. This song emphasizes the experimental direction this band have, with a very grunge feel to this song. It’s a very nice listen though, just like the first song.

Kelly offers the nice build ups and guitar playing that this EP gave to me so far giving the EP something quite sensitive. Koba will wake you up after Kelly fades out, with great riff and the drums building up. The riff is a happy and distorted. The progression remains quick and unexpected at the first listen, with Koba standing out in my opinion. The last song is The Scene, it’s the longest song on the EP by 1 second. The Scene lacks what the rest of EP has instrumentally, but it makes you focus on the song lyrically, this song unlike the rest however carries you through to the very end of the EP

I found LKLNS EP very interesting, Noisecore is the perfect summary of this. Even though bands like Converge and any band from the grunge era to have a cult following, I think you would need to like bands like that to have a proper grasp of Likelions. I enjoyed the EP, with Koba being the highlight of it in my eyes. It’s heavily distorted and quite addictive, I hope they can nail this stuff live with their upcoming Stafford and New York dates.

Matt

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‘Dust Bowl Refugee’ by Divine Youth has a great start to their song, bringing an ‘old’ vibe to the song with a steady pace and strong vocals, along with incorporating similar lyrics to the Beatles, “you twist and let me hear you shout”. The vocals are something different to anything I’ve ever heard and they are definitely something I would want to hear again, so distinctive! The song is addictive and has a catchy tune with a strong chorus that is inviting and something you would sing to or keep stuck in your head. The beat is something to tap along to whilst listening to this song with the windows open in your car, and the guitar riffs bring the song to a close nicely towards the end.

I believe Divine Youth have full potential and this song could definitely get them going.

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I don’t think there’s ever been a better time for fans of indie music to discover new and unsigned bands. If you haven’t done so already indie fans, you should definitely add Bonsai to your list.

Their debut single, titled Ned, is a brilliant way to begin what is set to be a really promising chapter in Bonsai’s future. The song starts off rather mellow, but don’t be fooled. Ned takes you on journey where you find yourself rising and falling with every corner of the song. If it’s not the unique sound of Chris Hough’s vocals rippling through every dimension of Ned, it’s the brilliance of Joe Hough’s lead guitar that gives this song something to shout about. Every bit of this song seems so tightly woven, that I’m left wondering why Bonsai haven’t released anything sooner.

Ned is something to get your teeth into. Rammed with perfect guitar solos and well rounded drum beats, Bonsai have raised the bar entirely. Quite frankly, I can’t wait to see what else they’ve got.

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You know the evenings going to be something special when tickets completely sell out and the Underground on friday night was no exception – I haven’t seen it that crowded in a long time.

First on was trio Billy Zero who erupted onto the scene with their fast paced impulsive tracks, completely overcoming the nerves of being first on. Their sound is one that can only be described as classic, nostalgic pop punk and in particular their track ‘Man Overboard’ really set the benchmark for the night, with a delicate intro launching into 2 and a half minutes of rapid gold. I’d definitely recommend having a listen, especially as it’s free to download. What else is there to say? They were a perfect opening to the night.

This was Interlinked’s first gig at the Underground, but they dived straight in regardless. The set was fuelled with heavy rock melodies and their commanding stage presence completed the whole image perfectly. The unrestrained yet gratifying tones of the vocals in contrast with the bold and sharp screams created a faultless balance which made the impact even more striking and really lit a fuse into the packed room. There was nothing to fault – the play of their new intro prompted a fervent reaction with fans both old and new and they really put their mark on the Underground, and hopefully soon they’ll be back for more.

Tribes Of Tauricide dished out a hearty share of hardcore metal out for what was their debut gig as a band. And a debut that alongside the other bands completely sold out – that alone is pretty impressive and something to be proud of. They took this opportunity to the full and exerted the performance with big sounds that equalled their enthusiasm. The set was heavy, hectic and high-powered and sent everyone crazy; watching them on stage you’d think they had been doing this for a whole lot longer than they actually have. The definite highlight was their cover of Limp Bizkit’s ‘Break Stuff’, which included some impressive rapping and an intense breakdown that erupted the crowd into a unison of jumping and shoving; the atmosphere was truly electric. If their next gig matches the exuberance of this one, you are all in for a treat.

Over the past year, headliners True English Gents have become well known for shaking things up a bit with their bold and brash punk rock persona, and their EP launch has been highly anticipated for a while with only a few songs being showcased at previous gigs. For me, the one box they always tick is having the ability to put on a show that gets everyone joining in and hyped up – and I mean everyone. From the outset the energy is turned up to the max and it never faltered throughout their set. The turnout was impressive and after the colossal impact at their previous gig at the Sugarmill they even slipped in their cover of Jamie T’s Zombie, alongside some classic True English Gents tracks which ensured many people in the crowd came out battered and bruised, but ecstatic nevertheless. New tracks such as ‘Broken Cigarette’, which is available on Sound Cloud, really highlighted the amount of work they’ve put into this EP; the sound is more experienced and cultivated than their older stuff and the crowd loved it, especially as free copies of the EP were thrown into the mass of sweaty fans. They’ve definitely come far in this past year – now it’s their chance to stamp their mark on local music in a true rock n roll fashion.

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It was obvious just from standing outside The Sugarmill on Friday night, that The Albion would be performing to another packed venue.

The evening was opened by local band Vienna Sunset, a folk-rock four piece that eased you into their set with strong harmonies, and the ever growing urge to dance. Playing original songs such as ‘You’re My High’, ‘Lovely Sort of Chap’ and ‘Lullaby’ to which lead singer DaveCleasby dedicated to someone in the crowd, Vienna Sunset tamed listeners and began proceedings as best they could.

Next to take to the stage was Release, the most popular support group of the night. The alternative five-member strong group may not have been around for too long, but from the way the audience received them I’d say they’re doing everything right. It seemed as though this band could play anything and still receive adoration from the crowd. Powering through songs ‘Whatever Will Be Won’t Be’ and ‘Spelling Out Doom’, Release demonstrated the strong musicianship between each member and their sheer power when conducting a crowd.

The final support of the night came from Cold Ocean Lies, embarking on the first night of their nine date UK tour. After the hard hitting set brought by Release, Cold Ocean Lies had a lot to bring to compete yet somehow, they managed it. Helped by the relaxed nature of the band and the signature sound provided by a voice effects pedal, Cold Ocean Lies tamed the audience for several moments and brought back some much needed order in the crowd. A personal favourite from their set was ‘Wasting Time’, a song that combined bass and electric guitar to form a well-rounded crowd pleaser.

There was a heavy sense of anticipation in the air as the crowd eagerly awaited The Albion’s arrival. Even when frontman Will Carter stepped up to the microphone, the crowd continued to chant impatiently. Unfazed and seemingly untroubled by this, the band began their set coolly and calmly as though completely unaware of the rowdy and excited crowd before them. Noticeably, The Albion are at ease on stage. As the band play ‘Picturesque’ and ‘Hiding in The Dark’ taken from their brand new EP the crowd become more energised by the second, even finding an opportunity with the most mellow of songs to dance. I still can’t believe how nonchalant the band remained on stage, in spite of the crowd’s intense need to jump and push. Flying through their set with another favourite of mine titled ‘Illusions’taken from their last EP, The Albion seemed unstoppable. This band is just as good live as they are recorded, if not better. They included in their set ‘Sun Structures’ by Temples, where Carter downed his guitar for a more basic instrument – a tambourine. This song provided real contrast to their set and continued to keep the crowd wanting more. Something the band never appear to lose is their cool, even in the remaining songs on their set which include ‘Make Up Your Mind’ and ‘Life Amongst The Young and Lost’, both taken from their previous EP.

As the night draws to a close and The Albion round off their set on a high, I can’t help but feel proud of the bands that I’ve seen. I’m pretty sure everyone that left The Sugarmill that night left with a little bit more faith in real talent. It may not be easy to find but once you gosearching for it, there’s a whole load of undiscovered and underappreciated music that’s just waiting to be adored.

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Opening with a short build up lead by a rough, grungey guitar riff, Push is in no way a song you’d sit and listen to whilst relaxing by the fire. It’s a head banger and a crowd pleaser.

Striking the song, and ultimately giving it a punch of something different, are the vocals. Although not the lead instrument in this track, they give the song different levels and dimensions making Push sound busy and loud. Naturally the guitar pulls you through this track, with the bass and the power of the kick drum providing footing for everything else to fall into place. I’m a massive fan of guitar riffs, and this song did not disappoint. Featuring at the end, the guitar sounds as though it’s a caged animal waiting for the moment it’s released into the wild. Short but sweet, combined with the sudden change in tempo, it’s a fantastic way to end a great track.

Clearly this is yet another band that know how to utilise the talent of each member and throw that into a song. Push is the next song you’ll be air guitaring to and We Few should definitely be the next band you should see live – just to see them play this fantastic track.